Macaroni Au Gratin

Here’s a yummy recipe for Haitian-style macaroni and cheese. In Haiti, French is an official language. “Au gratin” [ow-GRAH-tin] is the French way of saying a dish includes melted cheese or breadcrumbs. In this recipe, it means cheese! Kids in Haiti often eat mac and cheese around Christmastime!

Macaroni Au Gratin

Yields1 Serving

Adult help needed.

 2 tbsp cooking oil
 1 small onion, diced
 1 bell pepper, diced
 1 (16-oz.) box of macaroni
 12 cups water
 3 cups shredded cheddar cheese
 1 (16-oz.) can evaporated milk
 ½ cup butter or mayonnaise (mayo is more traditional)
 ¼ cup grated Parmesan cheese
 salt and pepper to taste
1

Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease a 13-by-9-inch baking dish.

2

In a skillet over medium heat, sauté the onion and pepper in the cooking oil until softened, about 3-4 minutes. Remove from heat and set aside.

3

Bring 12 c. water to boil in a large pot. Add the macaroni and cook until tender but not mushy, about 8 minutes.

4

Drain the macaroni and return to the hot pot. Stir in the sautéed onions and peppers, cheddar cheese, evaporated milk, mayonnaise or butter and Parmesan cheese. Season with salt and pepper and mix until the cheese starts to melt.

5

Transfer the mixture to your greased baking dish. You can sprinkle extra cheese on top if you want.

6

Bake 20-25 minutes or until the cheese has melted and the top is golden brown.

7

Remove from the oven and let it sit for 10 minutes before serving. Mmm … cheesy goodness!

Ingredients

 2 tbsp cooking oil
 1 small onion, diced
 1 bell pepper, diced
 1 (16-oz.) box of macaroni
 12 cups water
 3 cups shredded cheddar cheese
 1 (16-oz.) can evaporated milk
 ½ cup butter or mayonnaise (mayo is more traditional)
 ¼ cup grated Parmesan cheese
 salt and pepper to taste

Directions

1

Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease a 13-by-9-inch baking dish.

2

In a skillet over medium heat, sauté the onion and pepper in the cooking oil until softened, about 3-4 minutes. Remove from heat and set aside.

3

Bring 12 c. water to boil in a large pot. Add the macaroni and cook until tender but not mushy, about 8 minutes.

4

Drain the macaroni and return to the hot pot. Stir in the sautéed onions and peppers, cheddar cheese, evaporated milk, mayonnaise or butter and Parmesan cheese. Season with salt and pepper and mix until the cheese starts to melt.

5

Transfer the mixture to your greased baking dish. You can sprinkle extra cheese on top if you want.

6

Bake 20-25 minutes or until the cheese has melted and the top is golden brown.

7

Remove from the oven and let it sit for 10 minutes before serving. Mmm … cheesy goodness!

Macaroni Au Gratin

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Try another Christmas favorite in Haiti.

Click here for the recipe